St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-03-10

turned on my heel, descended on
the elevator, and went out on Broad
way. / was thoroughly sick of red
calico. But determined to make one
more trial. My wife had bought her
red calico not long before, and there
must be some to be had somewhere.
ought to have asked her where she
bought it, but thought a simple little
thing like that could be bought any
where.
went into another large dry goods
store. AS l entered the store a sudden
tremor seized me. could not bear to
take out that piece of red calico. If
me-a pen wiper or anything of the
if they could match that.
But l stepped up to young woman
and presented my sample, with the
usual question.
"Back room, counter on the left,
she said.
/ went there.
"Have you any red calico like this p
/ asked of the lady behind the counter.
"No, SIR" she said, "but we have it
in Turkey-red."
Turkey-red again surrendered.
"All right" said, "give me Turkey
red"
"How much, sir 2" she asked
81 don't knOw-say five yards"
The lady looked at me rather
strangely, but measured off five yards
of Turkey-red calico.
Then she raped on the counter and
called out "Cash !" A little girl, with
yellow hair in two long plaits, came
slowly up. The lady wrote the num-
Der of yards, the name of the goods,
her own number, the price, the amount
of the bank-note / handed her, and
some other matters, probably the color
of my eyes and the direction and We
locity of the wind on slip of paper.
She then copied all this in little
book which she kept by her. Then
she handed the slip of paper, the
money and the Turkey red to the yell
low haired girl. This young girl
copied the slip in a little book she car
ried, and then she went away with the
calico, the paper slip and the money.
After a very long time-during which
the little girl probably took the goods,
the money and the slip to some central
desk, where the note was received, its
amount and number entered in a book,
change given to the girl, Il copy of the
slip made and entered, girls entry ex-
amined and approved, goods wrapped
up, girl registered, plaits counted and
entered on "a slip of paper and copied
by the girl in her book, girl taken to Il
hydrant and washed, number of towel
entered on paper slip and copied by
the girl in her book, value of my note
and amount of change branded some
where on the child, and said process
noted on a slip of paper and copied in
her book-the girl came to me, bring
ing my change and the package of
Turkey-red calico.
L had time for but very little work
at the Office that afternoon, and when
| reached home l handed the package
of calico to my wife. She unrOlled it
and exclaimed:
"Why, this don't match the piece L
gave you"
"Match itp' l cried. ooh, no! it
don't match it. You didn't want that
matched. You we're mistaken. What
you wanted was Turkey red-third
counter to the left. | mean, Turkey
red is what they use."
My wife looked at me in amazement,
and then detailed to her my troubles.
"Well," said she, "this Turkey red
is great deal prettier than what l
had, and you've got so much oft that l
needn't use the other at all. L wish L
had thought of Turkey red before"
81 wish from my heart you had,"
said I.